Christel’s story
Degenerative spondylolisthesis, radiculopathy, lumbar fusion surgery, ALIF
After spine surgery, Christel "felt like a new person"
When Christel first arrived at Mayfield Brain & Spine in 2022 to consult with Dr. Bryan Krueger, the pain in her lower back and down her right leg made it difficult to walk, so she rode a wheelchair into the office. It was only a few weeks later when Dr. Krueger visited her hospital room after surgery to repair damage at the L5-S1 levels in her lumbar spine.
"He said I was a trooper to have gone through that level of pain," Christel said. "I remember him telling me, 'Soon, you'll be able to do anything you did before.'"
Today, she has proven the neurosurgeon correct. Christel has started yoga sessions, stretches regularly at home and walks her three dogs. Her pain is pretty much gone, and she feels none of the numbness or weakness on her right side that she felt before the surgery.
"I immediately felt like a new person," she said.
When Dr. Krueger first examined high-tech images of Christel's spine, he recognized the damage to the spine and pressure on the nearby nerves that can cause extreme pain and loss of function. He found a degenerative condition where one vertebra is slipping over the one below it, called spondylolisthesis. That was causing a condition called radiculopathy, a set of symptoms including the pain, tingling and numbness in the extremities.
"Christel's symptoms included pain across here entire back and down her right leg," Dr. Krueger said. "Her symptoms were severe, and non-surgical methods of management were ineffective. Given her severe pain and the instability in her lumbar spine, we recommended surgical intervention."
During the surgery, Dr. Krueger and vascular specialist Dr. Brian Kuhn were able to realign Christel's lumbar spine to reduce the impingement on the nearby nerves. Dr. Krueger then fixated and fused the two vertebrae together to maintain the proper spacing and alignment.
"Christel was nervous about the outlook for her future, but the surgery was her chance to get her life back," Dr. Krueger said.
A fall at home
Christel traces her lower back trouble to an injury from falling down her steps at home. She got distracted by her dogs and tumbled down the steps. She felt intense pain immediately and was taken to a hospital.
"My right knee was burning, and my back really hurt," she said. "It got to the point where it was going across my back. It just kept getting worse."
Christel tried pain medications suggested by other physicians, but they didn't provide relief. Eventually she was referred to Mayfield and to Dr. Krueger. When they sat down and reviewed her scans, she saw what had been causing her pain.
"Dr. Krueger really listened to me," Christel recalled. "He told me what my outcomes could be after surgery, and what might happen if I didn't have the surgery. The care that I got was just amazing to me. I feel blessed. I really do."
~ Cliff Peale
Hope Story Disclaimer -"Christel's Story" is about one patient's health-care experience. Please bear in mind that because every patient is unique, individual patients may respond to treatment in different ways. Results are influenced by many factors and may vary from patient to patient.
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